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Re: What to call Guix
From: |
Olaf Buddenhagen |
Subject: |
Re: What to call Guix |
Date: |
Wed, 21 Jan 2015 19:29:35 +0100 |
User-agent: |
Mutt/1.5.21 (2010-09-15) |
Hi,
On Tue, Dec 16, 2014 at 12:20:32AM -0500, Richard Stallman wrote:
> I am thinking about the idea of calling Guix "the reference
> distribution" of GNU. That term seems inappropriate in two ways:
>
> * It comes from "reference implementation", which means an
> implementation intended mainly to be studied when making other
> implementations, rather than for real use. Guix is not meant only to
> be studied.
>
> * It suggests something that is basic and not at all fancy, whereas
> Guix is an innovative experimental approach.
I don't feel these are serious problems: it's not uncommon in the Free
Software world for a "reference" implementation to actually be the most
used and/or most advanced one... I for my part at least do not associate
such negative connotations with the term.
> This leads me to think of calling it an "avant-garde distribution".
> Perhaps "The GNU Project's avant-garde distribution of GNU/Linux".
After looking up what "avant-garde" actually means, it does seem fairly
appropriate... But that's already the first problem right there:
although I have seen the term "avant-garde" many times before, I never
bothered to check what it means. I'm probably not the only one...
As others pointed out, it also feels strange to see it used for a
technical thing rather that a work of art.
But most importantly, I think it is actually worse than "reference" in
suggesting that it's not something meant for regular users...
> This also avoids the undesirable effect of suggesting that other free
> distros are rejected.
I don't believe "reference" has such an effect...
As another suggestion in a similar spirit, we could also go for
"standard GNU distribution". Not sure about the merits compared to
"reference"...
-antrik-
- Re: Guix != GNU GSD ==> True, (continued)
- Re: Guix != GNU GSD ==> True, Richard Stallman, 2015/01/29
- Re: Guix != GNU GSD ==> True, Bruno Félix Rezende Ribeiro, 2015/01/29
- Re: Guix != GNU GSD ==> True, Luis Felipe López Acevedo, 2015/01/29
- Re: Guix != GNU GSD ==> True, Ludovic Courtès, 2015/01/28
- Re: Guix != GNU GSD ==> True, Richard Stallman, 2015/01/28
- Re: What to call Parabola, Aurélien DESBRIÈRES, 2015/01/28
- Re: What to call Parabola, Aurélien DESBRIÈRES, 2015/01/28
Re: What to call Guix,
Olaf Buddenhagen <=
Re: What to call Guix, Olaf Buddenhagen, 2015/01/23